Wednesday, February 18, 2009

My stiff structured technical style faced a challenge the last few weeks at work. Forget all the rules I learned, I am not writing copy as well. Advertising writing is a 180 degree turn from technical writing. It involves sloppiness, conversational tone, and a lack of respect to punctuation.

Writing to stir emotions is tough, especially dealing with complex themes. I go from writing one set of instructions to writing five or six themes. So far the results aren't bad, but I'm haven't found my comfort either. It makes me nervous to have so many eyes looking over something I am not comfortable with.

The terminology is new for me as well. In today's economy, I am not complaining. I am happy to have the opportunity to learn something new. For now, it's like wearing an itchy sweater.

Monday, February 9, 2009

A technical writer is often a luxury, and during time when the economy lowers itself into recession, technical writers are often the first on the chopping block. It's important to diversify your skills and train to make yourself valuable to your company. Volunteer for marketing jobs, Web design, graphic design, and any other skills you have to help prevent an unemployment check during these times. Of course this is true with most jobs, but a technical writer is one of the easiest positions to let go.